Mail-exchange device



May 25, 1926. 1,585,697 H. E. SMITH MALL EXCHANGE DEVICE Filed Sept 1, 1923 2 Sheets-$heet 1 1.3 29 6 6 2.! P J /7 9 5 2o 2 May 25 192$ H. E. SMITH- MAIL EXCHANGE DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 1,

Patented May 25, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE.

HERBERT E. SMITH, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR T0 SPOKANE MAIL EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

MAIL-EXCHANGE DEVICE.

Application filed September 1, 1923. Serial No. 660,617.

The present invention relates to improvements in railway mail exchange devices involving the use of a rotary crane carried by the railway mail car and adapted for eX- changing, receiving and delivering mail bags or pouches. The primary object of the invention is the provision of means which are comparatively simple in construction and operation, but strong and durable, and compactly arranged on the exterior of the car for performing the above indicated functions. The invention contemplates means operable from the interior or" the car for swinging the crane to loading position as well as means for automatically swinging the loaded crane to operative position. Devices are also utilized for maintaining the crane temporarily in operative position and for cushioning the shock of impact after the performance of the functions of the crane. The invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts for accomplishing these required operations and conditions as will hereinafter be more specifically set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention wherein one of a pair of devices is shown in connection with a railway mail car, and in which the parts are associated and arranged according to the best mode I have thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of a railway mail car equipped with the apparatus of my invention, the rotary crane being shown in full lines in loading position or retracted after operation, and in dotted lilies showing the inoperative, normal position.

Figure 2 is a detail perspective view of th retaining device carried by the car for holding the crane in operative position for exchanging, delivering or receiving mail in co-action with a station or roadside equip ment.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view at the upper end of the operating shaft of the crane.

Figure 4 is atop plan View showing the relation of parts.

The essential parts of the present invent lOIl may be said to reside in the combination and arrangement of the clutch means for use in manipulation of the crane and in the means for retaining the crane in operative position, and therefore the claims of the present case are directed to these features.

Other features of the railway mail exchange device are more specifically set forth and claimed in my co-pending applications for patent Serial Numbers 660,618 and 660,619 tiled September 1, 1923.

For convenience of description and illustration the usual or standard type of railway mail car is designated in Figure l as C and the doorway or opening therein is designated D. One apparatus only is illustrated at the front sideof the door way, but it will be evident that a complementary apparatus may be used at the rear side of the door way in Figure 1. in order that the car may exchange mail when passing in either direction.

The crane includes a vertically disposed shaft 1 supported at one side of the door way in bearings 2, 2, attached at the exterior of the car wall or side, and is provided with an upper arm 3 for suspending a mail pouch and a complementary lower arm l for retaining the suspended pouchin position. A receiving fork 5 is carried by the lower arm for receiving mail bags or pouches from a station device, and as indicated in dotted lines Figure 1 this fork may be turned down to position parallel with the car side when the crane is turned to normal or inoperative posit-ion.

At the upper end of the rotary shaft of the crane is located a loose clutch sleeve 3 having rigid or integral angularly disposed, horizontal arms 7 and 8, of which the arm 8 is provided with an extension 8 for a purpose to be described. Below the clutch sleeve on the shaft is an encircling clutch collar 9, slidable on the shaft and provided with a clutch tooth 10 adapted to engage a complementary notch 10 on the clutch sleeve as seen in Figure 3. A spring 11 is coiled about the shaft and interposed between a fixed collar 12 and the grooved slide collar 9 for the purpose of resiliently supporting the slide collar and holding its tooth 10 in its till socket or notch 10. The fixed collar 12 is retained in place by a set screw 13 and the collar may be adjusted on the shaft to desired position and there lined by the screw. At the upper extremity of the shaft a retaining collar or cap is fixed by means of a screw 15.

The slide collar in combination with the clutch sleeve is designed to couple the shaft and sleeve for co-operation and retention of the crane in either loading position as indicated in full lines, or in dotted line, inoperative position, as seen in Figure 1. By disconnecting or disengaging the clutch mem bers the crane may be freed or released for swinging on the shaft bearings, as for instance to projected position at right angles to the longitudinal center or the car. For releasing the clutch I employ a lever 16 which hangs in position just outside the doorway D where it is readily accessible to the railway mail clerk for manipulation. The lever has a forked connection 1? to the clutch slide collar 9, and is pivoted at 18 to a fixed bracket 19 which stands upright at the top of the side. It will be apparent that by pushing the lever 16 to the right in Figure l the clutch may be disengaged to release the shalt and then the crane may be swung or rotated as required.

For checking the rotary motion of the crane under impact of exchan ing, receiving, or delivery of mail I employ an air cyl' inder 20 which is suspended by a pivot 21 on a fixed bracket 22, between said bracket and the arm 8 to which the piston stem 20 or the cylinder is pivoted at 23. The action of the piston within the cylinder compresses air therein to absorb and cushion the shock of impact in a well known manner.

For returning the crane to normal inoperative position with its arms extended parallel with the car side as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 a spring 2a is connected to the arm 7 and anchored to the bracket 22, and an adjusting device, as a turn buckle 2 1 may be used to vary the tension of the spring as desired or required. The spring also holds the crane, in combination with the clutch in inoperative position.

The rotary crane is maintained in pro jccted or operative position at right angles to the longitudinal center of the car through the eo-action of a roller 25 carried at the end oil the extension arm 8 and a resilient latch member 26 best seen in Figure 2. This latch member is a metal strap having one end 27 rigidly attached to the roof of the car at the side oi the clere story windows or ventilators, and its free end 28 which projects in the direction of travel of the car is fashioned with an upward curve or incline in the path oi movement of the roller 25 as the latter swings with the extension arm when the crane is turned or swung to prorim. puL

jected or operative position at right angles to the side oi the car. The inclined tongue or guide 28 for the roller terminates or merges into a notch 29 oi? a size to receive the roller, and as the latch nien'iber is of r silient metal with the base of the notch below the highest point of the com or guide tongue 28, it will be apparent that the roller will find a seat and be retained in the notch, thus holding the crane in projected position. The latch member is stabilized, supported and guided in its movement by means of a bolt 30 fixed to the car root and rising therefrom and provided with a spring 31. The bolt passes through a slot or open ing in the latch and the spring is interposed between the lower face or the latch and an adjustable nut 82 on the bolt, while a stop or retaining nut 38 is threaded on the free end of the bolt. lily adjusting these two nuts the latch may be brought into proper position for receiving and retaining the roller, and the spring aii'ords a res" icnt sup port for the latch as the roller rides up ll 2 cam end of the latch. ll' hcn the roller is in latched position the spring holds the latch with its notch in effective ement with the roller and the crane is thus maintained in projected position. Under impact from the exchange, delivery, or recei 1 ot a mail bag the crane is swung to it line position in Figure 1, and the move ment caused by the impact pulls the roller from its notch. The pull or withdrawal of the roller from the notch causes a depression of the free portion oi the latch against the tension of the spring 31 to more readily release the roller, and after the roller is released the spring 31 restores the latch to its normal position. When the crane is projected to operative position, it will of course be understood that the clutch members are disengaged and the clutch is inoperative, the crane being retained in position solely by the co -action oi the roller and latch. When the crane is swung by impact to position as in full lines Fig. 1 for re moval of the received lag, the clutch automatically becomes operative and holds the crane in this position until it is released by a manipulation of the lever 16.

F or swinging the crane from inoperative position to projected position for the purpose of receiving a mail bag in the fork 5 a cable 34 is attached to an arm 35 of the extension 8. This cable passes over a guide roller or pulley 36 journaled on a fired bracket 37 on the car roof and through the r001 to the interior of the car where it may be grasped by hand of the railway mail clerk. A second cable 38 is attached to the arm 7 and passes to the interior of the car through an opening therefor at 39 in the car root. This cable is accessible for manipulation by the mail clerk within the car nr 11A for the purpose of retracting the projected crane to unloading or loading position as required, in case of an emergency.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device as described the combination with a rotary shaft and a loose clutchsleeve thereon and means for operating the shaft, of a clutch device on the shaft for co-action with said sleeve for coupling the shaft and sleeve, and means including members detachable under impact for retaining the shaft in operative position when the clutch device is released.

2. The combination in a rotary crane of a shaft and a loose clutch sleeve thereon, a fixed retaining device and a complementary member carried by said sleeve for co-action with the retaining device to hold the crane in operative position, a clutch device on the shaft for operatively coupling said shaft and sleeve, and means for releasing the clutch device.

3. The combination in a railway mail exchange device including a crane and its rotary shaft, of a loose clutch member on said shaft and a complementary clutch member for operatively coupling the loose member and shaft, a fixed retaining device, a complementary retaining device carried by the loose clutch member, and means for releasing the clutch device whereby the crane may be swung to and retained in projected operative position.

4. The combination with a rotary crane of a shaft and clutch device thereon including a loose sleeve, an arm carried by said sleeve, a retaining device in the path of movement of said arm, and means on said arm for coact-ion with said retainingdevice for holding the crane in operative position.

5. A. rotary crane including its shaft, a

loose clutch sleeve thereon, an arm carried by said sleeve and a roller at the free end of said arm, a clutch device for co-action with the sleeve for coupling said sleeve and shaft, means for releasing the sleeve, and a fixed retaining device in the path of movementof said roller for holding the crane in stationary projected position.

6. A rotary crane including itsshaft, a loose clutch sleeve thereon and a clutch device for co-"action with said sleeve, an arm carried by said sleeve and a friction device on said arm, a fixed retaining device in the path of movement of said friction device for iolding the crane in stationary position, said retaining device adapted to release the friction device as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HERBERT E. SMITH. 

